Pros and Cons of Satin Finish Core Models?

Do they smudge or have any other issues with durability? Any tonal issues?
 
I'm not sure if standard stain core models are V12 or nitro, though it makes little difference to the question in hand.

I think they look good. And feel good too. Nice and smooth.

No tonal issues what so ever.

They will smudge a bit if you have oily sticky fingers. But no more than fingerprints show up on a gloss body. In fact they generally show fingerprints less.

I wouldn't say they have any particular issues with durability either, on the whole they will be exactly the same as a gloss counterpart. However - the satin finish will buff up in areas with regular contact and this means the uniform satin finish won't last for ever, or even for very long. Hasn't taken more than a few months to gloss up the necks of guitars with satin finishes for me. So don't expect a satin finished guitar to maintain its looks the same way for very long. It will begin to change relatively quickly. you could view this as personalizing the guitar and making it your own.
 
They feel great and look great. Satin is a nitro finish, not V12, so you have to take some things into consideration.

1.) Satin is a nitro finish that hasn't been buffed to a shine. While the finish is satin initially, over time, you will start to notice parts of the finish start to gloss. I don't mind this on mine, but it's something to keep in mind.

2.) As a nitro finish, it is fragile. It will dent and scratch easier than a poly/acrylic finish like V12. Even the plastic buckle on my ernie ball guiatar straps have caused a couple small indentations just because the guitar rests on it while playing. I through a cotton wrist band over the buckle and that took care of that problem.

3.) Also because it is a nitro finish, you have to watch for what it may react to. Rubber stands, synthetic materials, some guitar polishes, leather straps...etc. Nitro, while it sounds great, takes more care if you are into maintaining the aesthetic look on the guitar.

If you google "nitro guitar finish", you can learn a lot about care and maintenance.

Hope this helps!
 
As far as I know, all the satins are nitro.

One thing not covered so far is that the depth and "pop" of figured maple is less with a satin finish.
 
While the finish is satin initially, over time, you will start to notice parts of the finish start to gloss. I don't mind this on mine, but it's something to keep in mind.
This! I knew the satin finish on my CE24 would be starting to show something like this and I don't care too much about it, too. But I was really surprised how fast this can happen. I don't have very sweaty fingers but do often rest my ring finger and pinky below the strings/between pickups That's where it started to get glossy within a few days :D
 
If it is a niro finish, don't get too scared off. I have a few nitro finished guitars (including a satin PRS) and I don't particularly care for them any differently than any other guitar. Yes what Steve Dombroski says about nitro is true, so you need to be a little careful, but at the same time, they are perfectly robust if you're sensible. If it's the PF09 finish then I love it on mine.
 
I played one and found the finish to be very fragile. Just touching it with my finger nail lightly made a mark. I personally would not buy one.
 
I have a number of satin nitros. Love the way it lets the wood breathe but don't like the way areas commonly rubbed will become glossed. I sent a satin ME1 to ptc for a total gloss over and have read many threads where others have rubbed theirs to a gloss all over at home. As mentioned the only other downside I see is you do lose much of the depth and pop of a great figured wood vs glossed tops.
 
Pro: They feel good and fast as your hand tends to glide without friction.

Con: They tend to understate the flame and curl on figured maple. Gloss will "pop" the figure. I personally would not put satin on a figured maple neck.
 
Last edited:
Satin feels good and it will wear,COOL, in time. If you like that type of thing. Guitar wear is a natural thing... don’t fight it if you like it. Go with it.
 
I like the slick feel of a gloss neck (and guitar), and that’s the only reason why I wouldn’t go satin. My hands aren’t sticky, so gloss is faster for me than satin.

But they do have a cool visual vibe. And one of the things I like best about my PS guitars is that they’re finished in nitro, and sound great.

Satin finishes show marks, but so do gloss finishes, they just do it differently.
 
Impossible to buff back to original condition, unless you’re a luthier or PRS employee. Expect even little things like pick scratches to be there forever.
 
Impossible to buff back to original condition, unless you’re a luthier or PRS employee. Expect even little things like pick scratches to be there forever.
Not noticed this on mine. Though I get your point. On a gloss one I'd just get the polish out and give a quick go over to remove small scratches. On a satin this would of course create a gloss patch! But the satin finishes tend not to show up small scratches in the first place so much, and instead of polishing you could always use some very (very) fine wire wool to go over the scratch - though of course you can't do this too often or you'll go through the finish!
 
I sent a satin ME1 to ptc for a total gloss over and have read many threads where others have rubbed theirs to a gloss all over at home

Yeah I've glossed mine up a bit myself. Not to a full gloss finish, but it's certainly more than it started off as. I've only done this on the top, and really only to get a uniform finish over it so I didn't have little gloss patches here and there. And of course it makes the figured top stand out a bit more. It now has what I like to think of as a 'vintage gloss' finish, as if it was an old guitar where the gloss has dulled over time. Really suits the model I have but it might not work for everyone,
 
I played one and found the finish to be very fragile. Just touching it with my finger nail lightly made a mark. I personally would not buy one.
I think this is a result of the finish type used rather than being satin itself. And I can't really see any technical reasons why a V12 (or whatever it is they're using now) couldn't be done in a satin finish as well.

But if they do only use the nitro for the satin guitars (PF09 - Paul's finish '09, developed for the dirty 100 guitars?) then they use only a very thin coat, which is why it would seem less robust than the standard finish. Personally I view the PF09 finish as very much a desirable upgrade - It's a very traditional guitar finish. But it must be looked after a little more carefully and it will wear traditionally as well - just look at all of those 50s and 60s Strats with barely any finish left! If you want your PRS to still look like brand new in 30-40 years, then maybe best to stay away from the nitro!
 
I love the feel of my satin finish CE24's and I haven't personally noticed any glossing on them yet. My core custom 24 has a satin flame maple neck, the flame is definitely more subdued than gloss but the feel is worth it to me, it's easily my favorite feeling/playing neck I've ever had.
ZGS65cu.jpg
 
Not noticed this on mine. Though I get your point. On a gloss one I'd just get the polish out and give a quick go over to remove small scratches. On a satin this would of course create a gloss patch! But the satin finishes tend not to show up small scratches in the first place so much, and instead of polishing you could always use some very (very) fine wire wool to go over the scratch - though of course you can't do this too often or you'll go through the finish!
Can very fine wire wool restore the original PRS satin finish? That would be a great tip for me to bring onboard.
 
Back
Top